Tom Hanks ‘storms out’ of SNL 50th anniversary concert

‘There’s been some confusion,’ host Fallon said before Hollywood couple comedically left venue

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson “stormed out” of a Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary event in a comedic bit that had the audience in stitches.

The Hollywood couple left their seats and headed to the back of the auditorium when host Jimmy Fallon told the audience that the three-hour SNL concert would not be handing out any awards.

Fallon said: “Apparently, there’s been some confusion. This is just a concert. We’re not giving out any awards tonight. So I just want to make sure that everyone knows that.”

At this stage, in a clip that’s circulated online, both Hanks and Wilson could be seen jokingly walking out of the Radio City Music Hall venue in New York, with Wilson wagging her finger at the camera.

“Tom? Rita?” Fallon said, playing along, adding: “We lost Tom Hanks and Rita. Sorry. It wasn’t their fault.”

Over the years, Hanks has hosted SNL 10 times through the years and made numerous cameos, most recently in December 2024. This has comfortably earned him a spot in the Five-Timers Club club, reserved for stars who have hosted the show five times or more.

Other members include Bill Murray, Drew Barrymore, Melissa McCarthy and Dwayne Johnson.

The star-studded event saw several key figures from the history of SNL grace the stage, with former cast members Amy Poehler, Eddie Murphy, Molly Shannon, Kristen Wiig, Adam Sandler, Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Pete Davison and Tracy Morgan all participating.

Elsewhere, Tina Fey, Will Forte, Kate McKinnon, Andy Sandberg, Seth Meyers, Kenan Thompson, Jason Sudeikis, Fred Armisen and Chris Rock also made appearances – but the omission of Bill Hader was not lost on the sketch show’s fans, who begged for the Barry actor to return.

Tom Hanks comedically storms out of ‘SNL’ event while Jimmy Fallon hosts (X/Twitter)

The special also features celebrities who have previously graced the stage as guest hosts. These included Adam Driver, Ayo Edebiri, Dave Chappelle, John Mulaney, Kim Kardashian, Martin Short, Miley Cyrus, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pedro Pascal, Peyton Manning, Quinta Brunson, Robert De Niro, Sabrina Carpenter, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Woody Harrelson.

The first Saturday Night Live cast was known as the Not Ready for Prime Time Players and consisted of Chevy Chase, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Laraine Newman, Dan Aykroyd, Garrett Morris and Jane Curtin.

Radner and Belushi have since died. Aykroyd’s absence from the list of returning cast members was unclear, though he posted enthusiastically about the 50th anniversary on social media last week.

As part of its anniversary celebration, Peacock is streaming a four-part documentary series, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night, about the show.